TOMMY HILFIGER ACCELERATES SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS

by Stephen Garner

Tommy Hilfiger has announced a new program aimed at reinforcing the brand’s commitment to creating fashion that ‘Wastes Nothing and Welcomes All’ through environmental and social sustainability. Called “Make it Possible,” Tommy Hilfiger is initially committing to 24 ambitious targets centered around circularity and inclusivity, outlined across four pillars towards 2030.

The brand is looking to make products in a fully circular way as part of a sustainable loop; as well as operate with sensitivity to planetary boundaries, for instance in the areas of climate change, land use, freshwater, and chemical pollution, from what we buy to where we sell. Tommy Hilfiger is also committed to creating equal access to opportunity in its internal ranks as well as aiming to be a completely accessible and inclusive brand for all its customers.

Tommy Hilfiger’s program is powered by parent company PVH Corp’s “Forward Fashion” strategy, a set of 15 priorities designed to reduce negative impacts to zero, increase positive impacts to 100 percent, and improve the over 1 million lives across the company’s value chain.

“I opened my first store, People’s Place, in 1969 in my hometown of Elmira for people of all backgrounds to come together and share exciting pop culture experiences,” said Tommy Hilfiger. “As our brand has evolved over the years, driven by this inclusive spirit, so has our commitment to social and environmental sustainability. With ‘Make it Possible,’ we will go even further with our commitment. We’re working towards our vision with the entire organization focused on it and, while we’re not there yet, we are going to get there.”

“In these times of health, human, environmental and economic crisis, we share a responsibility to find innovative solutions that will encourage inclusivity and build a more circular future,” added Martijn Hagman, CEO of Tommy Hilfiger Global and PVH Europe. “It is in our nature to drive change, even in the most challenging of times, which is why we are announcing our ambitious Make it Possible sustainability program, outlining 24 targets towards 2030. Tommy Hilfiger has a decade’s long track-record for driving a more sustainable future, including pioneering low impact denim processes, championing water stewardship, and creating more inclusive collections. Make it Possible is one way we will work together to make a meaningful and lasting contribution towards a better fashion industry.”

“Make it Possible” marks the latest milestone in Tommy Hilfiger’s sustainability journey. Key achievements include the launch of Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive, designed to make dressing easier for adults and children with disabilities, and the Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge, a global program aimed to support start-up and scale-up stage businesses developing solutions that promote inclusivity and sustainability in fashion. More recently, Tommy Hilfiger launched People’s Place Program to advance the representation of black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities within the fashion and creative industries. To date, more than 80 percent of Tommy Hilfiger designers have been trained on circular design strategies and, in 2019, 72 percent of cotton used globally came from more sustainable sources. Additionally, 2 million pieces of denim have been finished in lower impact, reducing the amount of water and energy used. Each seasonal Tommy Hilfiger collection includes more sustainable styles in its collections, as evidenced by the 50 percent more sustainable styles planned for spring 2021, double the amount from spring 2020.